(i) Technical Field
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer and a copier, and an image forming method.
(ii) Related Art
As image forming apparatuses to be used as a printer, a copier, and the like, an image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording medium using a color material has been known.
Such image forming apparatus has a function unit (heat generating function unit) that generates heat along with a function of a power source device or various electric substrates as well as a function unit such as an optical system for which the temperature increase is undesirable. Therefore, it is necessary to have a structure for preventing the temperature increase due to the heat from the heat generating unit in machinery units other than the heat generating unit.
As the image forming apparatus, one provided with a container containing a color material and has a structure of supplying the color material from the container to an image formation part has been known. In the image forming apparatus having such structure, a defect such as an alternation of the contained color material due to a temperature increase can occur when the color material container is heated by heat from a heat generating function unit.
For instance, an image forming apparatus employing the electrophotography method uses a heat fixing toner as the color material, which is fixed to a recording medium by heat-fixation, and such heat fixing toner is subject to a defect of degradation in fluidity due to a temperature increase.